Students and faculty fill Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus as they stage a walkout in protest of recent budget cuts and fee hikes Wednesday.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Students and faculty fill Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus as...

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University of California students, faculty and staff stage a walkout in protest of recent budget cuts on the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph avenues Wednesday in Berkeley.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

University of California students, faculty and staff stage a...

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Hundreds of students and faculty hold a rally at Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus as they stage a walkout in protest of recent budget cuts and fee hikes Wednesday.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Hundreds of students and faculty hold a rally at Sproul Plaza on...

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Students and faculty hold a rally at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza as they stage a walkout protesting recent budget cuts and fee hikes Wednesday.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Students and faculty hold a rally at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza as...

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UC staff member Katheryn Kowalewski joins a walkout in protest of recent budget cuts to the university system on the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph avenues on Wednesday in Berkeley.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

UC staff member Katheryn Kowalewski joins a walkout in protest of...

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Graduate student Ianna Owen marches with many others at the University of California staging a walkout in protest of recent budget cuts to the UC system on the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph avenues Wednesday in Berkeley.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Graduate student Ianna Owen marches with many others at the...

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Professor Percy Hintzen (right center), a UC faculty member for 30 years, is applauded after addressing students at Sproul Plaza protesting recent budget cuts and fee hikes to the UC system Wednesday in Berkeley..

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Professor Percy Hintzen (right center), a UC faculty member for 30...

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Students and faculty jam Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus as they stage a walkout in protest of recent budget cuts and fee hikes Wednesday.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Students and faculty jam Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus as...

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Bonnie Dalher, a 26-year staff member with the University of California system, joins others in staging a walkout in protest of recent budget cuts on the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph avenues Wednesday in Berkeley.

Thousands of students, professors and workers at University of California campuses across the state poured out of classrooms Thursday to rally against deep cuts to public education and aim their frustration squarely at UC leaders' handling of its budget crisis.

About 5,000 people showed up at noon at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza in a massive gathering - the largest of the 10 campuses - that began as a teach-in about the budget crisis and morphed into a vast student march through downtown Berkeley that blocked traffic for nearly two hours.

"Education should be free! No cuts, no fees!" chanted the protesters, marching shoulder to shoulder and carrying signs reading, "Stop the cuts - they hurt!"

The systemwide walkout reflected frustration and anger as UC lays off hundreds of workers, imposes unpaid employee furloughs and reduces courses to close a budget gap of more than $750 million - the result of dramatically reduced funding from the cash-poor state and higher operating costs.

45% tuition hike

The regents are also expected to raise next year's tuition to $10,302, a 45 percent increase over last year's tuition, which many students say will put a UC education out of their reach.

UC leaders said they shared the protesters' frustration over deep cuts to public education, but that the anger should be focused on state government.

"While we understand there's some anger and angst spread across our campuses, our hope is that it will be directed more precisely toward Sacramento, where the heart of the problem lies," said UC's interim provost, Larry Pitts.

Lawmakers, in turn, turned it back on UC.

"The state is facing an unprecedented fiscal crisis," said Julia Brownley, a Santa Monica Democrat who chairs the Assembly Education Committee. "The students are protesting how the university cut its budget. The Legislature left that up to the university."

Screaming interest group

"They're all screaming," he said. "Everyone has to tighten their belts."

Key among the protesters' concerns is that the cuts will damage UC's role as an economic engine in California that produces top graduates doing the most innovative work in their fields.

Cal officials and protesters said the rally at UC Berkeley was the largest gathering in recent memory, except the night of the Obama inauguration, and was the largest turnout among all UC campuses.

"This is extraordinary," said Shannon Steen, an American studies professor with a faculty group called Save the University. "This so far exceeds anything we thought would happen."

Protests systemwide

At other UC campuses - many of which began fall semester Thursday - crowds estimated at several hundred to 1,000 gathered on quads and at flagpoles to vent their anger, often under a scorching sun.

"It's exciting," said Keith Danner, a lecturer in English who helped organize the rally at UC Irvine. "To have 1,000 people standing for an hour in 95-degree heat just shows the depth of feeling against these devastating cuts."

Lacking tenure, Danner had to be careful about skipping class. So, like many untenured lecturers, he turned the rally into a lesson.

"I did a writing lesson about 'purpose and audience' and had them interview people at the rally," Danner said.

UC has about 19,400 faculty members, but only about 9,000 have tenure, said spokesman Pete King.

Most classes met as scheduled, campus administrators said, though some were held in professors' living rooms and even on picket lines.